- Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 – Imagine someone who had just been found guilty of a crime. The judge declares their guilt and then goes on to proclaim their sentence. 20 years in prison, a hefty sentence, but that is what the judge declared was the price to cover their wrong. Yet what if the individual who was just sentenced rejected the judge’s decision and decided to instead do some community service to cover their wrong. Or maybe they gave a bunch of money to a charity. Or maybe they instead started to do a bunch of good things now with their life. While great things, would those things cover the wrong they committed? No, for the judge sentenced them to 20 years in prison as their punishment and nothing else would replace that as their way to make things right. In the same way nothing we do can make right the wrong of our sins. God established that only the shedding of blood can forgive sins. So you may try to do good works and give lots of money and help lots of people, and while good things, these can’t remove the stain of your sin. Only through the path that God established can sins be forgiven. Praise the Lord then blood has been shed on our behalf to cover all our sin. Instead of living today trying to earn your right standing with the Lord, choose to rest in the finished work of Jesus. The blood needed to cover your wrongs has been shed already and already taken before the throne of God for you. It’s done and if you’ve chosen to follow Jesus, you’re safe and secure in this life with God. So go, live out those good deeds, yet not to earn forgiveness for that’s already yours through Jesus. Do them as your way of demonstrating gratitude for the life you’ve been blessed with. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3193
- Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:25-26 – To put away sin. What does that mean? Well it means to put away the punishment of sin and remove the stain of sin. For all those who come to Him for their forgiveness, they find a “putting away” of their sin once and for all. As even this passage eluded to, our world has tried to find ways to put away sin on their own, but what we see is only through Christ can that punishment be taken care of and that stain removed. All the more beautiful for us is that this is a forever putting away of sin. Jesus isn’t going to the cross year after year, He was a perfect sacrifice able to cover all sin. We find salvation in Him alone and security of that salvation in Him alone as well. Makes me wonder why we run to so many other things in this life if Jesus offers us so much so freely. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac
- For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Hebrews 9:24 – Christ has gone into Heaven as the sacrifice of sins, proclaiming forgiveness…all on our behalf. I love that last phrase because it shows you and I that this message is for us. That Jesus died the death that was needed to shed the blood to cover our sin. Now as our priest He is standing between us and our perfect Heavenly Father for all eternity saying we are clean, forgiven, and acceptable for a relationship with God now. Jesus did all this for you. All on your behalf. Keep this in mind when the enemy tries to discourage your worth and value. This passage is saying you alone are worth all that Jesus did on the cross. And even though He doesn’t have to do it again (as we see in this chapter) He would on your behalf because He loves you that much and you’re worth that much to Him. See yourself like Jesus sees you, I bet that will change a lot of how you live today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 572
- Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Hebrews 9:15 – Since a death has occurred. The phrase that someone has died always brings up sadness and breaks hearts. Yet here a death occurred and we celebrate all that it means. It means life has been granted to us. An eternal life full of forgiveness and joy. As we read through this passage today we can sit and celebrate the end results of Jesus’ death because we are existing in it now if we’ve put our faith in Him. My hope is that we remember that this new life, new inheritance, new salvation came because One had to shed His blood for us. Yes, celebrate as hard a you can that you have life now because of Jesus’ sacrifice, but live that life in a way that speaks your gratitude. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1605
Daily DEVO 